How to Take Full Control of Your Logitech Devices in 15 Minutes with OpenLogi

🦀 Ditch the Cloud: Take Full Control of Your Logitech Devices Locally with OpenLogi

Why You Need This Tool

If you're using Logitech's flagship devices like the MX Master or G502, you've probably suffered with Logi Options+ at some point: forced account logins, continuous background telemetry uploads, and DPI adjustment latency hitting up to 200ms. Worse yet, once official support drops for older models, your expensive peripherals essentially become bricked.

In just 15 minutes, this guide will show you how to reclaim complete control of your hardware using the open-source project OpenLogi. We'll cover:
✅ Fully offline operation, zero network requests
✅ Remapping buttons to any key or macro
✅ Custom step-wise DPI curves
✅ Direct control over physical SmartShift sensitivity

Environment Setup

System Requirements: Linux kernel ≥5.10 (stable hidraw driver)
Dependency Checklist:

## Basic build environment
sudo apt install pkg-config libudev-dev libhidapi-libusb0-dev

## Rust toolchain (requires 1.70+)
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

Why Rust? Memory safety guarantees that low-level HID communication won't crash, while being a compiled language ensures zero runtime overhead.

Building & Running

Step 1: Clone and Build

git clone https://github.com/AprilNEA/OpenLogi.git
cd OpenLogi
cargo build --release

Step 2: Grant Device Permissions

## Create udev rules to allow non-root access to hidraw devices
sudo cp assets/99-openlogi.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules

Step 3: Start the Daemon

./target/release/openlogi --daemon

The terminal will output a list of detected devices. If nothing appears, check the permissions of ls -l /dev/hidraw*.

Practical Config: Remapping Side Buttons to System Shortcuts

OpenLogi uses TOML for configuration. Let's create a custom_profile.toml:

[device]
serial = "C0:4E:3A:1B:7D:F5"  # Obtain via `openlogi --list`

[[button]]
index = 4  # Side Button 1
action = "key_combo"
keys = ["Ctrl", "Alt", "T"]  # Opens terminal

[[button]]
index = 5  # Side Button 2
action = "media"
key = "NextTrack"

Load the config on startup: openlogi --config custom_profile.toml --daemon

Tuning DPI Curves & SmartShift

[dpi]
levels = [800, 1200, 1600, 2400, 3200]
default = 1600

[smartshift]
threshold = 25  # Trigger speed threshold (1-50)
max_speed = 100 # Maximum speed percentage

Pro Tip: Start testing the SmartShift threshold at 20. You'll feel a noticeable change in scroll wheel resistance once it's active.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

❌ Config not applying?
→ Verify the serial number matches the openlogi --list output exactly. Note that MAC addresses/serials must use colons as separators.
❌ DPI button unresponsive?
→ Ensure the device is in pairing mode (hold the bottom button for 3 seconds). Some models may require a firmware update.
❌ Permission denied errors?
→ Use sudo chmod 666 /dev/hidrawX as a temporary fix. For long-term use, rely on the udev rules mentioned above.

What's Next?

Your device is now fully under local control! Consider trying:

1. Combining with xdotool for complex window management macros.
2. Creating separate config profiles for different workspaces.
3. Contributing back: Submit HID descriptors for newly supported devices.

The freedom of breaking away from cloud dependencies is undeniable once you try it. Your Logitech gear was always meant to listen to you.